The Unhygienic Malaysians

p.s. Clean politicians save our lives too, kan? **wink**wink**

While now we, malaysians, are alarmed about increasing number of A(H1N1) Human Influenza Virus, I wish we do not forget to see the small notes highlighted about the Typhoid, TB, Influenza and Meningitis outbreaks all over our country. These diseases can be as lethal as A(H1N1) virus outbreak, if left untreated.

For the past 3 weeks, 10 in my office building have been tested positive for TB and I heard there is another office in KL, which has been strucked with the same disease. I was told that the doctors were baffled as of why too many contracted that disease. Gosh, i hope they - the doctors - read this letter by Mr. Reuben Sher "Is the Malaysian Public Healthcare System in Disarray ... Are we Safe?" as published in Uncle Pete's MT. How could they be so ignorant? TB has been making a BIG comeback these days. Shishhh!

Though our management has assured us that they have taken necessary actions to contain the spread of the disease, it is sad to see that those people who has been categorised as highly likely to pass around (the carrier) or to contract the disease, have been utterly selfish and ignorant. Despite being quarantined, some sneaked out to meetings, went mingling, shopping and eating at public places - without any precautions. Unfortunately, they have put others at risks - others like their family members, colleagues, friends and public at large. They would say "I'm OK, so I don't care" but I do. I do not wish to spread this disease to my ageing parents and my active nephews. My loved ones would suffer more than I do.

So, Mother Therese says that "one the greatest diseases is to be nobody to anybody". We cannot be nobody to anybody. You could be a father or a mother to your child, what make you think you could walk around to other parents and get them infected? You could be a daughter to your parents and what make you so senseless to allow someone's parents to get down with one?

I was told that months before this TB outbreak, a few staff had been down with TB-like disease but it was not spelled out in the medical certificate and the said staff even tried to conceal this. What were they trying to hide from us? Shouldn't we be informed so it would spread to others knowing this kind of disease could remain dormant in your body till it gets activated? By right, regardless if we are highly likely or highly unlikely to catch one, we all in the building should wear masks at all times.

My beloved Atok once had TB as a result of having his meals too often at warungs when my aunty was away. He took tens of tablets 3 times a day to recover for at least 3 months. It was a sorry sight to see him taking a long time to finish his medication. Alhamdullilah, he got better pretty fast and none of us got infected despite my parents went back south to care for him for a month. It simply because my parents were very much knew what to do and what not to do and my Atok, my his soul be amongst the righteous, was very disciplined with his medications and was concerned enough not to spread the TB.

From then on, we reduce our tapau or eating outside the house. Since a few months back, i have started to bring my lunch to the office and to some extent, even my breakfast. No more cut fruits from roadside stalls - I opted to bring my own (an apple a day keeps the doctor away). Me and my colleague even thought of having fruit basket at our place. We realise how poor the quality of food being sold to us. Is it that hard to serve nutritious, healthy and clean food?

You may call me fussy but I am more concerned about their hygiene - starting from who prepared them, how they are being prepared, do they being subjected to certain method to prevent the food from becoming bad (fast) - and even to the extent, were they being prepared with care and love?

You may call me nosy but I am baffled to see some people leaving the rest room without washing their hands. Please, for whatever business you did in that loo, could you please just leave it there and not on the door knob, the door etc.? Eeewwwwww...

You can have 1Malaysia but make sure you use different clothes for different purposes OK. Would you be scrubbing your dining table with the one used to clean your wash room? Eeeewwww... No way, kan?

As i told someone that i even judge people from their kitchen (my Mak told me kitchen is the heart of your house), i see so many bad habits at the pantry. Some simply leave their dirty utensils in the sink. Some 'dust' the cabinet with MILO and Nescafe. Some spill. Maybe they thought they bring along their maid from home to clean up after them. Gosh, i thought this 'ketuanan' attitude only applies to politics, it even 'invades' our pantry. Ish ish ish...

Please, we could be complacent enough to let our politics becoming so 'unhygienic' a.k.a. dirty. Just don't let it spoil out health, home and office too...